Breaking down the murder case against Aaron Hernandez

Here is a look at the case against Hernandez.

The Incriminating Evidence

In the arraignment, assistant district attorney Bill McCauley detailed  Hernandez’s central role in Lloyd’s murder. Purported text messages from  Hernandez and a supposed surveillance tape from Hernandez’s home of Hernandez  holding a gun while saying “You can’t trust anyone anymore” before getting in  his car to pick up Lloyd were described as crucial pieces of evidence. Also  central to the case is apparent surveillance footage — and the curious deletion  of certain footage — from Hernandez’s home, as well as statements from  witnesses who paint Hernandez as angry with Lloyd. Although prosecutors have  apparently not found the gun used to kill Lloyd, McCauley claims Hernandez is  linked to a shell casing that matches the caliber of bullet used to shoot Lloyd.  The link is through a piece of bubble gum that purportedly Hernandez chewed and  was found next to the casing.

The Case Moving Forward

Under Federal and Massachusetts law, Hernandez has a right to a “speedy”  trial. In Massachusetts, this is generally meant to mean a trial within 12  months of an arraignment. Like other states, Massachusetts law also establishes  a court scheduling preference for criminal trials over civil ones. But do not  expect a swift resolution. The case could easily go on for months and well into  the winter, and the trial itself could take over a month. Until a trial starts,  there will be pretrial hearings over the discovery of evidence and scheduling  matters.

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